College football review: upsets plague Week 2

Jake Carlson

Sports Blogger

@jmancarl

In what was being billed as “the follow up week to the best week ever in college football history,” this week had some expectations to live up to. Did it live up to those expectations? It really depends on who you ask.

Games of the Week

Central Michigan’s upset over Oklahoma State highlighted a week filled with upsets in college football.(Devin L. Wilber, O’Colly)

Central Michigan vs Oklahoma State

The quality depth of games lacked this year but some upsets were brewing. The No. 22 Oklahoma State Cowboys came into their game against the Central Michigan Chippewas on Saturday looking a little flat. The slow start resulted in a 30-27 loss for OSU. The Cowboys’ quarterback, Mason Rudolph, missed some receivers and the three running backs got 15 carries total. However, the Chippewas looked ready to play after playing the Cowboys tough last year in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. NFL prospect and senior CMU quarterback Cooper Rush played exceptional. Rush went 30-for-42 with 361 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. CMU receivers also played well, highlighted by a one-handed catch and a clutch Hail Mary. CMU beat the Cowboys off of a hook-and-ladder play that went on to win the game after a controversial call.

Nicholls State vs Georgia

Georgia hosted Nicholls State on Saturday and narrowly escaped an upset with a 26-24 victory. This game ended a lot closer than fans expected. The Bulldogs struggled on offense against the FCS opponent. Running back Nick Chubb rushed for 80 yards on 20 carries and tallied a touchdown. Chubb came off a dominant performance against the North Carolina Tar Heels and didn’t meet the standards he set Saturday. However, Chubb is coming off a severe knee injury so fatigue could’ve been a factor. The UGA quarterback dilemma doesn’t seem to be settled yet. In the last knockings of the game, new coach Kirby Smart brought in veteran Greyson Lambert to finish out the game over freshman Jacob Eason. Eason didn’t play bad but it doesn’t seem Smart is fully sold yet.

Arkansas vs TCU

In the dramatic Arkansas at TCU game, it came down to double overtime for the Razorbacks to beat the Frogs 41-38 in Fort Worth, Texas. Texas A&M transfer Kenny Hill threw the ball for a whopping 56 times for TCU, completing 36 of his passes for 377 yards and a touchdown and interception. The TCU defensive struggles seemed to continue. TCU let up 41 points to South Dakota State during Week 1 and gave up 41 again to the Razorbacks in double overtime. A 41-point defensive average is not a solid point to make. Arkansas was coming off a 1-point win against Louisiana Tech but buried its questionable performance by beating No. 15 TCU in Fort Worth.

Players of the Week

Cooper Rush, quarterback, Central Michigan: 30/42, 361 yards, 4 TDs

The NFL hopeful Rush beat the Cowboys in Stillwater. He threw for 361 yards against a Big 12 defense. Rush led his team to a top-25 win in exciting fashion. Rush’s draft stock may be going up but the Chippewas season also looks to be on the rise.

Kalen Ballage is sharing the load at Arizona State with Demario Richard, who got 30 carries, but Ballage set himself apart Saturday in ASU’s 68-55 win against Texas Tech. Ballage rushed for seven touchdowns and caught one more to tie the all-time single game record.

Jackson is a solid passer, but his real damage came on the ground. Jackson is an exceptional runner and beat the Syracuse defense with some gaudy stats. Look for Jackson to test for a great season and create some Heisman talk.